Federal Skilled Trades Program

Applicants in the Federal Skilled Trades class benefit from being judged with lower Comprehensive Ranking System (CRS) scores than skilled workers in other programs in the Express Entry system.

Also, other applicants in the Express Entry system need to prove their level of education, but FSTP candidates are not required to prove that.

You also have a better chance of being granted entry into Canada if you qualify for the Federal Skilled Trade Program. For most years, FSTP applicants have a higher fraction of approved applications and the Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship Canada occasionally invite-only FSTP candidates through program-specific Express Entry draws.

To be eligible for the Federal Skilled Trades Program, you must meet the minimum requirements that include:

• Possessing a valid job offer of continuous full-time employment from up to two Canadian employers
• Basic English or French language ability that’s proven with a test taken at most 2 years before the application date
• At least two years of full-time work experience (or equivalent part-time work) in your skilled trade within five years before you applied for FSTP
• Proof that demonstrates your skills and experience in performing the essential duties of your occupation and skill level as set out in the National Occupational Classification
• Evidence that you plan to settle outside the province of Quebec (Quebec has its own Skilled Workers Program)

To immigrate to Canada under FSTP, you should be able to financially support yourself and the family members that are accompanying you. You will need between $13,213 to $34,967 if you are coming to Canada with one to seven family members. For each additional person, you should have an additional $3,560.

To prove you meet the financial requirements, you must submit proof of funds. The allowed proof of funds is official letters from banks or financial institutions.

Such letters must be on their letterhead and include their contact information, your name, outstanding debts (if any), account numbers, account balance, date your account was open, and the average balance for the past six months.

If you are legally authorized to work in Canada and have a valid job offer from a Canada based company, you won’t need to provide proof of funds.

The FSTP program is specifically for occupations or technical jobs that fall under certain categories of the National Occupational Classification (NOC). They include:

• Industrial, electrical, and education trades (Major Group 72)
• Maintenance and equipment operation trades (Major Group 73)
• Supervisors and technical jobs in natural resources, agriculture and related production (Major Group 82)
• Processing, manufacturing and utilities supervisors and central control operators (Major Group 92)
• Chefs and cooks (Minor Group 632)
• Butchers and bakers (Minor Group 633)

A major group is the broadest occupation category and is divided into minor groups. A minor group is then divided into unit groups.

The Express Entry system is dynamic as it allows only the highest-scoring skilled workers to be invited to apply for Canadian permanent residence. Candidates are assessed using the Comprehensive Ranking System (CRS).

Candidates are evaluated based on core human capital factors, skill transferability factors, and other factors. Simple, it looks at applicants’ finances, English/French test scores, age, education, work experience and other eligibility criteria. A score is attached to each area, and the candidate is scored based on their performance and characteristics.

Each Express Entry program has its average, with FSTP being one of the lowest. A few years ago, FSTP candidates needed to score a minimum of 415 points out of the total 1,200 points. However, if more skilled trade workers score higher, the least scoring approved candidate may score above 600.

The benefit of FSTP is not only the low CRS points, but you can also receive a provincial nomination which will guarantee your success because a provincial nomination is worth 600 CRS points.

Also, if you studied in Canada or have Canadian work experience, you will get more CRS points.

When applying for FSTP, skilled trade workers must meet the CRS threshold. Each section has points, and your eligibility grants you some or all of those points.

For candidates without a dependent spouse or common-law partner, these are the maximum point:

• 500 points for core human capital factors
• 100 points for skill transferability factors
• 600 points for other factors – a job offer, study experience, siblings in Canada who is are citizens or permanent residents, French ability etc.

Candidates with a dependent spouse or common-law partner can score these maximum:

• 460 points for core human capital factors of the principal applicant
• 40 points for core human factors of dependent spouse or partner
• 100 points for skill transferability factors
• 600 points for additional factors

Only the highest-ranked candidates in the Express Entry pool are invited to apply for Canadian permanent residence. Before you start your application, ensure to increase your chances of receiving an invitation by improving in areas that you can improve, for example, your English or French skills and level of education.

Skilled workers can apply for the federal skilled trades class through the IRCC. Before you apply, ensure that you meet the eligibility criteria. A Canadian immigration lawyer can help with that.

Also, you must take an approved English language proficiency test or French language test, such as the IELTS. You should only take tests that the IRCC recognizes.

Foreign nationals who did not study in Canada will need to obtain an Educational Credential Assessment (ECA) to claim additional CRS points for educational credentials.

Suppose it has been confirmed that you meet the eligibility requirements and you have gotten your ECA and language ability results. In that case, you can upload an Express Entry profile to the IRCC’s website. It is crucial that you complete your profile properly to ensure that you are given an accurate CRS score.

The next step is to wait to see if the IRCC approves your Express Entry profile and sends you an invitation to apply (ITA) for permanent residence. Typically, the IRCC holds Express Entry draws every two weeks to invite candidates with the highest CRS scores to apply.

The Federal Skilled Trades program is one of the most used avenues to immigrate to Canada permanently as a permanent resident. The competition is fierce. For the best chances, we advise that you reach out to immigration solicitors for assistance. Call us on +1 844 290 6312.

If you have received an invitation to apply, you can go ahead to submit your permanent residence application. In your ITA, the IRCC would provide how much time you have to submit your PR application; it’s usually 60 days.

Within that time, a skilled trade applicant can apply or deny the ITA. If you choose to proceed, ensure that you do not exceed that deadline.

Submit your application through the IRCC online application system, pay the processing fees, and submit all supporting documents. IRCC will provide you with an acknowledgement of Receipt (AOR) to confirm that they have received your application.

You may be contacted to give your biometrics, provide additional documents, be present at an interview or provide you with additional details or updates.

The IRCC aims to process permanent residence applications within six months. Once your application has been approved, you will get a Confirmation of Permanent Residence (COPR), and you can apply for a permanent residence card.

If you applied from a country that requires a Canadian visa to enter Canada, you would also get a permanent resident visa, along with the COPR, with which you can travel to Canada to apply for a PR card.

If you were not approved for permanent residence or didn’t get an ITA within one year of submitting your profile, you will have to create a new IRCC profile to re-apply if you are still eligible.